Trapezium-shaped frontal launcher

ABSTRACT

A device for manually sending and receiving an object such as a ball in the context of a sporting or leisure activity. This launcher is made up of two separate rigid parts (e.g. in the form of sticks) and a flexible trapezium-shaped surface by way of a sending and receiving zone. The object is received by holding the handles sufficiently close together to form a pocket to absorb the impact of the object striking the flexible surface. The object is sent by suddenly drawing the hands apart to the maximum distance permitted by the width of the flexible surface, using their natural fan-like parting movement. It is the tension created by the stretching of this surface which ejects the object and sends it very long distances with only the hands for motive force.

The invention consists of a device known as a trapezium-shaped frontallauncher or TFL.

It is a manual apparatus which serves both to throw an object more orless high and more or less far into the air and to catch it—such as aball, for example, within the context of a sporting or leisure activity.

The launcher is composed:

-   -   of two separate rigid parts, for example in the form of rods,        which serve as tension bars or sleeves for maintaining the        lateral rigidity of the device;    -   of a flexible part having a trapezium shape, which is fixed over        the entire length of each of its equal-length sides to one of        the two rigid parts; this flexible part serving as an area for        throwing and catching the object;

Said rods also serve in part as handles (one for each hand) that can belocated in the flexible part or outside the latter.

More precisely, the invention provides a device composed of a flexiblepart having a trapezium-shaped part such that the distance between thelower ends of the flexible surface is shorter than the distance betweenthe upper ends of said flexible surface, thereby forming a trapeziumhaving two lateral sides of equal length and an upper side parallel to alower side and having a greater length than said lower side; of twoseparate rigid parts, for example in the form of rods, which serve astension bars, and wherein the flexible part is fixed on its equal sidesto each of the two rigid parts in order to maintain the lateral rigidityof the device; this flexible part serving as an area for catching andthrowing an object.

The device is advantageously configured such that the rigid parts inpart form handles, and the form of the flexible surface is designed tostretch uniformly under the action of a fan opening movement by the usermoving his hands apart.

Preferably, the flexible part is fixed over the entire length of itsequal sides to each of the two rigid parts.

According to one embodiment, said rods in part form handles located inthe area of the flexible surface.

The launcher is frontal because it is grasped with one hand on eachhandle, and catching and throwing take place within the human field ofview: it can thus be played with straight away because it is natural,unlike racket sports which are played laterally and with a singlehandle.

Existing inventions have a flexible surface which has a rectangularform. The tension exerted on the flexible surface is due to the handsbeing suddenly moved apart to the maximum extent. This tension isexerted over the entire flexible surface in parallel horizontal lines.

In the previous rectangular form, the moving apart that produces maximumtension over the entire flexible surface is a parallel movement.However, the natural way in which a person moves his hands apart to themaximum extent is by fan opening them, the upper arms remaining stuck tothe body like the hands of a clock which are spaced apart from oneanother, and not by using a parallel movement.

The natural way of moving the hands apart them on a rectangular flexiblesurface thus produces maximum tension in the upper part (stretched andlevel surface) and very weak tension in the lower part (slack and wavysurface). The result of throwing a projectile is thus uncontrollable,namely it can have a backward or random trajectory with very littlepower.

Document DE G 93 13 815.6 is an example of such prior art, in which theflexible part is rectangular.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,183 also provides a rectangular flexiblepart which has the same abovementioned drawbacks.

The invention consists of a device for manually throwing and catching anobject, for example a ball, within the context of a sporting or leisureactivity.

This launcher is composed of two separate rigid parts (for example inthe form of rods) and of an elastic or non-elastic, trapezium-shapedflexible part which serves as a throwing and catching area.

The object is caught by the handles being held close enough together toform a hollow that damps the impact of the drop onto the flexiblesurface.

The object is thrown by the hands being suddenly moved apart to themaximum extent allowed by the width of the flexible surface, followingtheir natural moving-apart motion, namely by fan opening.

It is the tension created by the extension of this surface which ejectsthe object and throws it over very great distances with just the handsas driving force.

The trapezium-shaped frontal launcher of the present invention, anexample of which is shown in the single FIGURE, remedies this problem onaccount of the trapezium shape of its flexible surface 1 which isdesigned such that the distance between the lower ends of the flexiblesurface is shorter than the distance between the upper ends, themoving-apart motion then being a fan opening movement, following thenatural moving-apart motion of the hands.

The rigid parts 2 in the form of rods serve as tension bars followingthe movement of the hands and stretch the flexible surface 1 until theupper side 1 a and the lower side 1 b of the flexible surface, the upperside being longer than said short side, are stretched.

The rigid parts in the form of rods according to the example in partform handles 2 a, 2 b located in the area of the flexible surface, forexample in lateral cutouts 3 a, 3 b in the flexible surface 1.

The device is advantageously configured such that the form of theflexible surface is designed to stretch uniformly under the action of afan opening movement.

On account of the trapezium-shaped and not rectangular form of theflexible surface, the tension is exerted maximally over the entiresurface of the launcher of the present invention in horizontal linesparallel to the two bases (opposite sides of different lengths). Thetension is thus at a maximum over all the lines of the flexible surface,the impact of the final spacing apart of the hands being produced at thesame time everywhere.

This results in controlled throwing of an object by way of an action,the force and direction of which can be changed.

The projectile is caught by the rigid parts being held close enoughtogether to form a hollow that damps the impact of the projectiledropping onto the flexible surface.

The projectile is thrown by the hands being suddenly moved apart to themaximum extent allowed by the width of the flexible surface, following anatural fan opening movement of the hands and forearms: it is thetension created by the extension of this surface which ejects theprojectile over very great distances with just the hands as drivingforce.

The distance and height of throwing are controlled by the power of theimpact of moving the hands apart and the angle produced by inclining thelauncher being changed at the moment of ejection of the object thrown.

The invention thus consists of a device for manually throwing andcatching an object, for example a ball, within the context of a sportingor leisure activity.

This launcher is composed of two separate rigid parts and of atrapezium-shaped flexible surface that serves as a throwing and catchingarea.

The object is caught by the handles being held close enough together toform a hollow that damps the impact of the drop onto the flexiblesurface.

The object is thrown by the hands being suddenly moved apart to themaximum extent allowed by the width of the flexible surface, followingtheir natural moving-apart motion, namely by fan opening.

It is the tension created by the extension of this surface which ejectsthe object and throws it over very great distances with just the handsas driving force.

1. A device composed: of a flexible part (1) having a trapezium-shapedpart such that the distance between the lower ends of the flexiblesurface is shorter than the distance between the upper ends of saidflexible surface, thereby forming a trapezium having two lateral sidesof equal length and an upper side (1 a) parallel to a lower side (1 b)and having a greater length than said lower side (1 b), of two separaterigid parts (2), for example in the form of rods, which serve as tensionbars, and wherein the flexible part is fixed on its equal sides to eachof the two rigid parts in order to maintain the lateral rigidity of thedevice; this flexible part serving as an area for catching and throwingan object.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rigid partsin part form handles (2 a, 2 b), and the form of the flexible surface isdesigned to stretch uniformly under the action of a fan opening movementby a user moving his hands apart.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the flexible surface is fixed over the entire length of itsequal sides to each of the two rigid parts.
 4. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said rods in part form handles (2 a, 2 b) located inthe area of the flexible surface.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 4,wherein the handles are located in the area of the flexible surface inlateral cutouts (3 a, 3 b) in the flexible surface (1).
 6. The device asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible surface is fixed over theentire length of its equal sides to each of the two rigid parts.
 7. Thedevice as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rods in part form handles (2a, 2 b) located in the area of the flexible surface.
 8. The device asclaimed in claim 3, wherein said rods in part form handles (2 a, 2 b)located in the area of the flexible surface.
 9. The device as claimed inclaim 6, wherein said rods in part form handles (2 a, 2 b) located inthe area of the flexible surface.
 10. The device as claimed in claim 7,wherein the handles are located in the area of the flexible surface inlateral cutouts (3 a, 3 b) in the flexible surface (1).
 11. The deviceas claimed in claim 8, wherein the handles are located in the area ofthe flexible surface in lateral cutouts (3 a, 3 b) in the flexiblesurface (1).